Pankaj Garg, David Lillystone, David Dossetor, John Eastwood, Siaw-Teng Liaw

BACKGROUND: General practitioners (GPs) are increasing involved in the care of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and prescribe and/or manage psychotropic medications for these children. Few published reports of perceptions of GPs regarding use of these medications exist in the literature. OBJECTIVE: Qualitative analysis of comments by 177 GPs regarding psychopharmacology use in children with ASDs. METHODS: A postal questionnaire survey containing both close- and open-ended questions was conducted in New South Wales, Australia...

Investigators from the Division of Developmental Medicine and Clinical Research Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, studied the relationship between the timing of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the age at ASD diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Earlier studies suggest that knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) among healthcare workers in Nigeria is low. This present study assessed the knowledge of Nigerian final year medical students about symptoms of ASD and some other aspects of ASD. This is a cross sectional descriptive study that drew a total of seven hundred and fifty-seven (757) final year medical students from ten (10) randomly selected fully accredited medical schools out of a total of twenty-seven (27) fully accredited medical schools in Nigeria...

We conducted in-depth case studies of 10 health care professionals who actively provide primary medical care to adults with autism spectrum disorders. The study sought to understand their experiences in providing this care, the training they had received, the training they lack and their suggestions for encouraging more physicians to provide this care. Qualitative data were gathered by phone using a structured interview guide and analyzed using the framework approach. Challenges to providing care were identified at the systems, practice and provider, and education and training levels...

The Med AppJam is a 2-week long competition where students from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine are partnered with students from the University of California, Irvine School of Information and Computer Sciences in interprofessional teams to develop mobile health applications for use by clinicians and patients. The success of the Med AppJam comes from the unique opportunity for students to mutually contribute their content expertise to improve the clinical landscape while expanding their technology literacy and savvy...

OBJECTIVES: The study objectives were to develop and objectively assess the therapeutic effect of a novel movement-based complementary and alternative medicine approach for children with an autism-spectrum disorder (ASD). DESIGN: A within-subject analysis comparing pre- to post-treatment scores on two standard measures of childhood behavioral problems was used. SETTINGS AND LOCATION: The intervention and data analysis occurred at a tertiary care, medical school teaching hospital...

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of geographic health services factors on the timely diagnosis of autism. METHODS: Children residing in central North Carolina were identified by records-based surveillance as meeting a standardized case definition for autism. Individual-level geographic access to health services was measured by the density of providers likely to diagnose autism, distance to early intervention service agencies and medical schools, and residence within a Health Professional Shortage Area...

CONTEXT: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are widely prescribed for children with autism spectrum disorders. OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy and safety of citalopram hydrobromide therapy for repetitive behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders. DESIGN: National Institutes of Health-sponsored randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Six academic centers, including Mount Sinai School of Medicine, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of California at Los Angeles, Yale University, and Dartmouth Medical School...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze parental attitudes and socio-emotional development of children conceived by ICSI. DESIGN: Open cross-sectional study. SETTING: Department of Clinical Psychology, Thomayer University Hospital, Prague and Department of Paediatrics, Charles University, 2nd Medical School, University Hospital-Motol, Prague. METHODS: 133 children (75 boys, 58 girls) conceived by ICSI, age ranged from 11 months to 8.5 years were psychologically assessed between the years 2004-2006...

Familial history risk factors in relation to autism were examined in a cohort of 164 autistic children referred to The Autism Center at New Jersey Medical School-University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, over a 2-year period (2001-2003). Information related to familial history was obtained from each family and reviewed by a clinician. It is shown that these families carry a higher overall burden of psychiatric and developmental illnesses compared to reported national levels. These families also carry a relatively high incidence of medical disorders, independently of developmental and psychiatric disorders...

OBJECTIVES: Prenatal and birth history as potential sources of risk factors in relation to the onset of autism were examined. METHODS: A cohort of 164 families of autistic children referred to The Autism Center at New Jersey Medical School-UMDNJ, Newark, New Jersey, over a two-year period was studied. Intake prenatal and birth history information was obtained from each family and reviewed by a clinician. RESULTS: Prevalence rates in this cohort for vaginal bleeding, prolonged labor and prematurity were higher than comparable rates reported nationally and in New Jersey...

The growth and differentiation of the central nervous system are closely related to the presence of iodine and thyroid hormones. It has been hypothesized that neurobehavioral disabilities of childhood, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disorders, and autism can be attributed to fetal thyroidal endocrine disruption in utero. To determine whether there is an association between neonatal thyroid status and a subsequent diagnosis of a neurobehavioral disability, neonatal thyroxine (T(4)) levels have been used as the indicator of the presence of intrauterine thyroidal dysfunction...